Author Archives: Cris

James Dean

By | |
Leave a comment
James Dean

“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” – James Dean

  • James Dean was an actor of American birth, who became a legendary teenage icon.
  • James Dean was born in Indiana’s Marion, in the United States, on 8 February, 1931, and was named ‘James Byron Dean’.
  • James Dean’s mother died in 1938 due to cancer, when Dean was nine years of age, and so his father sent him to live with his aunt and uncle who were Quakers.
  • The first commercial appearance James Dean made was in an advertisement for Pepsi Cola, in the early 1950s.
  • James Dean had a significant interest in automobile racing, had ownership of various car models, and competed in a number of races, in which he earned high placings.
James Dean, Smoke, Acting,Male, Actor, Ten Random FactsJames Dean
Image courtesy of Isomnia Cured Here/Flickr
  • The fame of James Dean arose from his work in the films East of Eden (1955), Rebel without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956).
  • James Dean died on 30 September, 1955, at 24 years of age, in a car crash at an intersection with another vehicle.
  • James Dean received a nomination for the Best Actor Academy Award in East of Eden, that he received posthumously, making him the first actor to do so; and a second nomination followed, as well as other awards.
  • Sight was not one of James Dean’s strong points, as he was short sighted and had difficulty seeing without his glasses.
  • James Dean never married, however he dated and had close relationships with a number of people, notably Pier Angeli, an Italian actress.
Bibliography:
James Dean, 2015, Biography.com, http://www.biography.com/people/james-dean-9268866
James Dean, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Dean

Amazon:      

Cracker

By | |
Leave a comment
Cracker

Don’t cracker up after this pun!

  • Crackers are dough-based food products and are typically thin or wafer like biscuits that generally range in size up to 8 centimetres (3 inches).
  •  The main ingredient of crackers is generally a grain, like wheat or rice ground into flour, and water, and they are often flavoured with seeds, herbs, spices, salt, stocks or other flavours.
  • Crackers are typically shaped circular or square, although they can also be found in a range of other shapes, such as rectangles, stars and triangles.
  • Crackers are generally plain or savoury flavoured and are commonly eaten as snacks, with dips, spreads, sliced meat, cheese, and sliced vegetables.
  • Most commonly, crackers feature holes named ‘docking holes’, that serve the purpose of preventing air bubbles in the pastry and allowing moisture to escape during the cooking process.

Cracker, Wheat, Rice, White, Brown, Holes, Square, Circle, Assortment, Ten Random Facts, Food, Biscuit, Australia

  • The wheat-produced pita, lavish and matzo flatbreads, among others, were the predecessors of the cracker.
  • Crackers can be home-made, or available for purchase in packages from supermarkets, and sales of the biscuit in the United States alone reaches more than ten billion dollars annually.
  • It is believed that crackers were invented in 1792 by John Pearson, in Massachusetts’s Newburyport, in the United States, as a sailor biscuit replacement.
  • Crackers are typically made commercially in large sheets, with docker pins pressing holes into the food, before they are baked in an oven.
  • The word ‘cracker’ is said to have originated from the crackling sound created by the accidental burning of the biscuit.
Bibliography
Cracker (Food), 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracker_(food)
Hiskey D, Why Crackers Have Holes, 2012, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/10/why-crackers-have-holes/

Amazon:      

Shilin Stone Forest

By | |
Leave a comment
Shilin Stone Forest

Don’t get lost in the Shilin Stone Forest labyrinth.

  • Shilin Stone Forest is a group of natural rock formations located in the province of Yunnan, in China, Asia.
  • ‘Shilin Stone Forest’ is also known as ‘Shilin’ which means ‘stone forest’ in Chinese, ‘Shilin Geopark’, ‘Stone Forest’, and ‘Stone Forest Geopark’.
  • The rocks of Shilin Stone Forest are made of limestone, shaped by constant erosion and weathering.
  • There are thousands of rocks in the Shilin Stone Forest, and the rocks have the appearance of petrified trees or stalagmites.
  • The South China Karst, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, includes the Shilin Stone Forest.
Shilin Stone Forest, China, Rocks, Vegetation, Piers, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Part of Shilin Stone Forest
Image courtesy of Paul Arps/Flickr
  • Shilin Stone Forest sits on an area covering approximately 350 square kilometres (140 square miles), and it is a highly popular tourist attraction, with various accommodation options nearby.
  • Seven main parts make up Shilin Stone Forest, including the Greater and Lesser sections, and areas that contain caves and lakes, such as Zhiyun Cave and Lake Chang.
  • According to native folklore, the area of Shilin Stone Forest is the location of where a Yi woman, called Ashima, was born, who is said to have turned to stone when she failed to received permission to marry her true love.
  • Strange shaped rocks that resemble elephants, lions, and other forms can be found throughout Shilin Stone Forest.
  • The tallest formation of Shilin Stone Forest reaches 30 metres (98 feet) in height.
Bibliography:
Cool Karst at China’s Shilin Stone Forest: 270 Million Year Old Natural Wonder [35 PICS], 2013, Love These Pics, http://www.lovethesepics.com/2013/06/cool-karst-at-chinas-shilin-stone-forest-270-million-year-old-natural-wonder-35-pics/
Stone Forest, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Forest
Stone Forest Geopark, n.d, Global Network of National Geoparks, http://www.globalgeopark.org/aboutGGN/list/China/6414.htm

Amazon:      

Fly Geyser

By | |
Leave a comment
Fly Geyser

Fly Geyser is a supernatural natural monument.

  • The manmade Fly Geyser is a hot-water geyser located near the town of Gerlach, in the county of Washoe, in Nevada, in the United States.
  • ‘Fly Geyser’ is also known as ‘Fly Ranch Geyser’ and ‘Green Geyser’.
  • Fly Geyser began its life in 1964 after a well was drilled, in the hope it would provide hot water for geothermal energy purposes, however, the water only reached an unsuitable temperature of 93 degrees Celsius (200 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • Soon after the well was either sealed, or left open, in 1964, water escaped from the ground, and has continued over many years, leaving mineral deposits that have formed a mound known as ‘Fly Geyser’.
  • Fly Geyser reached a height of approximately 1.5 metres (5 feet) and spread 3.7 metres (12 feet) in width in 2014, however the Geyser keeps growing in size due to the minerals that exist in the water.
Fly Geyser, Beauty, Spurt, Ten Random Facts, Colourful, Red, Green, Formation, Manmade, America
Fly Geyser
Image courtesy of Ken Lund/Flickr
  • As of 2014, Fly Geyser was located on private land at Fly Ranch, and as a result could not be visited directly without private permission from the owner, who, from 1998, was the Jaksick family, although the geyser can be viewed from the fence line.
  • The water shooting out of Fly Geyser can reach heights of around 1.5 metres (5 feet), and there are multiple spouts in the mound.
  • The yellow, green, orange and red colours of the Fly Geyser is due to the algae that grows on the form, which prefers warm to hot temperatures, as well as the various minerals that are deposited.
  • Occasionally tours are held on Fly Ranch, that have enabled visits to Fly Geyser and another nearby geyser cone that no longer spouts water, however, access to the site has been generally difficult to secure, although there has been talk of opening it to the public, for some time.
  • Water from Fly Geyser has created numerous pools of water on the ground, that have attracted wildlife such as fish and birds.
Bibliography:
Fly Geyser, 2014, Atlas Obscura, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fly-ranch-geyser
Fly Geyser, 2015, Road Trippers, https://roadtrippers.com/us/washoe-county-nv/nature/fly-geyser
Fly Geyser, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_Geyser
McCann J, There she blows: The incredible pictures of a man-made geyser in the middle of the Nevada Desert, 2013, Daily Mail Australia, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2363926/There-blows-The-incredible-pictures-man-geyser-middle-Nevada-Desert.html

Amazon:     

Stargazer Lily

By | |
Leave a comment
Stargazer Lily

The stargazer lily really catches your eye.

  • A Stargazer lily is a hybrid flowering perennial plant and is classified as an ‘Oriental’ lily, and it is also known as the ‘Star Gazer lily’.
  • Stargazer lilies are from the Lilium genus, and they have the cultivar name ‘Stargazer’ and are from the Liliaceae family, the family of lilies.
  • The Stargazer lily plant typically grows to heights of 60 to 90 centimetres (29 to 36 inches).
  • Stargazer lilies are commonly used as ornamental or cut flowers, due to their beauty and pleasant fragrance.
  • The flowers of Stargazer lilies are generally coloured light to deep pink, with dark coloured textured spots, and the petals have a white edge.

Stargazer Lily, Pink, Flower, But, Bouquet, Australia, Vegetation, Plant, Lillium, Ten Random Facts

  • The flowers of Stargazer lilies bloom during summer months, and the plant is typically grown from the division of bulbs.
  • The Stargazer lily was bred by a Californian plant breeder, Leslie Woodriff, in the 1970s, and he developed many hybrid lilies and begonias.
  • The flowers of Stargazer lilies are large, growing to be 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) in diameter, and they grow towards the sky, appearing to gaze upwards.
  • The best growing positions for Stargazer lily plants are in full sun in the garden, and they can also be grown in pots.
  • Stargazer lilies contain poison that affect cats, making them sick, and fatalities are also possible.
Bibliography:
Lilium ‘Stargazer’, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilium_’Stargazer’
Lilium ‘Stargazer’, 2015, Fine Gardening, http://www.finegardening.com/lily-lilium-star-gazer
Oriental Lily Lilium ‘Star Gazer’, 2015, Dave’s Garden, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1427/#b
Lilium ‘Stargazer’, 2015, Perennials.com, http://www.perennials.com/plants/lilium-star-gazer.html

Amazon:      

Old World Vultures

By | |
Leave a comment
Old World Vultures

Old World vultures are necessary parts of many ecosystems.

  • Old World vultures are large birds native to Africa, Europe and Asia, classified by two subfamilies, Gypaetinae and Aegypiinae.
  • Old World vultures are from the family Accipitridae, the family of hooked-beak birds, while New World vultures belong to a different family.
  • The diet of Old World vultures consists primarily of meat that they extract from the bodies of dead animals and people.
  • The heads of many of the Old World vultures are generally featherless, which is said to help prevent overheating.
  • Livestock may be treated with chemicals, that can render meat for Old World vultures poisonous, and has caused the destruction of many populations of the birds, although the birds are generally not affected by animal diseases and bacteria.
Old World Vulture, Cape Griffon Vulture (Gyps coprotheres), Ten Random Facts, Bird, White, Perch, Feather, Black
Old World Vulture
Image courtesy of Heather Paul/Flickr
  • Old World vultures range from 60 to 150 centimetres (2 to 5 feet) in height, generally weigh between 0.85 to 2.2 kilograms (2 to 5 pounds), and typically have a wingspan that spreads 130 to 183 centimetres (51 to 72 inches) wide.
  • Old World vultures have feathers that are typically coloured black, brown, white, grey or tan, or a combination of these colours.
  • Old World vultures have superb eyesight, and they can turn red in the head when they are not happy about something.
  • Snakes, hawks and wild cats prey on Old World vultures, and the birds commonly play dead when they feel vulnerable.
  • People from Old World vulture’s native countries benefit from the bird, as they clean up rotting carcasses, that would otherwise spread disease and cause other health problems.
Bibliography:
Old World Vultures, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_World_vulture
Vulture, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/vulture/
Vulture, 2015, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/vulture

Amazon:     

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...